


The Sleepover

by USS_Hannigram (uss_hilson)



Category: Hannibal (TV), Hannibal Lecter Series - All Media Types
Genre: Bisexual Male Character, Gay Sex, M/M, Mental Anguish, Mental Health Issues, Mental Instability, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:34:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 5,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26001220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uss_hilson/pseuds/USS_Hannigram
Summary: Will arrives at Hannibal's house late one night, cold and wet.  Hannibal does his best to ease Will's mind and calm him.
Relationships: Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter
Comments: 4
Kudos: 47





	1. “I feel unstable.”

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by NBC’s Hannibal, Season 1, Episode 8 – “Frommage”

“I feel unstable,” Will admitted aloud. “ _But, not when I’m with you – you ground me_ ,” he thought.

Lecter looked at the man standing in his kitchen as he prepared dessert for them both. “What do you feel is the source of your instability?”

“Everything. I don’t know. I don’t sleep, and when I do, I relieve Garrett Jacob Hobbs’ murder. I sleepwalk. I worry about what else I do in my sleep – what else I might _someday_ do in my sleep.”

“Perhaps you should stay here tonight then,” Lecter offered. “It’s already almost ten, and I can keep an eye on you to ensure that you don’t try anything untoward while you sleep.”

“But what about my dogs?” Will asked.

“They will be fine for one night. It’s Friday now, but if you decide to stay the whole weekend, you need only ask and I can stop by to attend to them.”

Will considered it for a moment. Dr. Lecter’s offer was extremely generous, and truth be told, the dogs could probably use a night or two of sleep without him shouting, sweating, and startling awake at 3 a.m. “Okay, alright then,” Will replied. “I could stay here, but obviously, I don’t have anything to change into, and my pant hems and socks are absolutely soaked.” He’d lost track of time, wandered around a wooded area as it rained, and when he came to, he had found himself at Lecter’s house, an hour away from Wolftrap.

“Not to worry. Let us enjoy dessert and then I can pour you a sherry, or whiskey if you prefer,” Lecter winked, “to help calm your nerves while I go upstairs and find some clothes for you to change into.”

Will smiled. “Thank you, Dr. Lecter.”

“Will, I’ve told you before, we’re friends…”

“Thank you, **Hannibal**.” Lecter returned the other man’s smile as he was handed a bowl filled with fruit sorbet and flakes of dark chocolate.

“Now, eat up,” Lecter directed, waiting to take a bite from his dish until he saw the satisfaction on Will’s face. “It’s homemade with my own proprietary blend of seasonings to showcase the flavour of the raspberries against the chocolate.”

Will looked at the bowl. “You had two desserts prepared. Were you expecting someone?”

“I had a dinner meeting that got cut short. I am now unencumbered,” Lecter replied.

Although he attempted to savour the dish, Will ate his sorbet as if he were a starved dog. Somehow, he managed to avoid a headache, but just barely.

“Ready for that drink now?” Lecter asked after finishing his own dish.

“Yes. Thank you. I could use something to help warm me up, especially after this.” Will gestured to his empty bowl before Lecter took it and placed both bowls in a sink. Escorting Will to the den, he poured a healthy measure of sherry into a snifter before handing it over. Will grinned in thanks.

“Now, you stay here and warm up, and I will find something for you to sleep in.” Will’s smile was returned before Lecter headed upstairs. Hannibal turned into his bedroom and headed towards a stately mahogany chest of drawers. He opened a drawer and touched a pair of wine-coloured silk lounge pants. _No, not for Will – not his style. He would prefer a warm pair of flannel pajama bottoms._ Lecter listened to his self-criticism. He chose the silk lounge pants for himself while grabbing a pair of black and gray flannel pants for Will. Perfect. He chose two long-sleeved shirts, one for each of them. Hannibal’s would match his pants, and Will’s would be black. Along with being several inches shorter than Lecter, Will had significantly smaller feet, too. No slippers for him lest he trip in them; however, Hannibal had a feeling that Will would run hot even if his sleep _was_ somewhat restful.

After picking out clothes for the two of them, Hannibal took Will’s and set them in his guest bedroom which was located diagonally across the hall. Other people would have had other bedrooms, but Lecter rarely had company, and his home office in which he met patients took up a large portion of the house once he had it retrofitted to his tastes. Of course, the kitchen and basement remodels were by far the most expensive, but they were worth it. 

After ensuring that the king-sized bed was fully outfitted in bedclothes, Lecter set down Will’s borrowed garments and headed back downstairs. “And how are you feeling now?”

Will looked up. He had been staring at his empty snifter, holding it between his two hands. “I’m better. Calmer.” He held up his empty glass.

“Good to hear. Is there anything else that I can offer you tonight?” His face remained impassive, but Lecter was curious to hear Will’s response.

“No. Just something warm and a blanket to sleep with – I feel like I could fall asleep anywhere at this point.” 

“Well, that won’t be necessary,” Hannibal replied. “I have you staying in the room across from mine. If you have any night terrors or need anything, you need only approach my room. I will keep my door cracked open and block the stairway with an armchair in case you find yourself sleepwalking in unfamiliar territory. Your room has its own facilities, although I’m afraid that it’s not as princely as my own. While your bath lacks a two-person bathtub, it should still be plenty comfortable for a night or two. However, if you find yourself in need of something bigger, you can always impose on me.”

Will closed his eyes and a grin appeared in one corner of his mouth. “Hannibal, thank you for opening up your home to me. I can only hope that I can return the favour some day.”

“I haven’t done this to be owed a favour, Will, but thank you. Now, why don’t you follow me upstairs?”

The two men ascended the staircase to Hannibal Lecter’s second story with Will following the doctour’s lead. After they arrived to Lecter’s guest bedroom, Hannibal turned to Will. “This room is yours.” He lead Will into the stylish sleeping quarters. Will noticed that the king-sized bed was already outfitted, a set of fresh nightclothes set neatly on the edge.

“You said you _weren’t_ you expecting visitors?” Will asked cautiously.

“Not at all. In fact, while I always keep fresh bedding, I had to grab clothes for you out of my own wardrobe, so I’m afraid they will be a bit long.”

“That’s alright, I’ll just be happy to change into something dry.”

“Well then, don’t let me stop you.” Lecter watched Will to read his expression. After a moment, he added, “I’ll leave you then, but know that I am just across the hall if you need anything.”

“Thank you. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” Hannibal replied before exiting the room and going to his own quarters. He closed his chamber door just long enough to get changed before opening it and looking across the hall. The other door remained closed. A few minutes after Lecter retreated to his own bed, Will Graham would crack his door open, hopeful that the doctour would come to his aid if he became aware of Will experiencing night terrors.


	2. Ordinarily, Hannibal could sleep through the night

Ordinarily, Hannibal could sleep through the night so long as he did not dream of Misha. When he did, he could never really fall back to sleep for the night. That made for long days in which the doctour was thankful for the occasional cancellation. (Ordinarily, Lecter found no-shows to be exceedingly rude, hence his strict policy where he could end the doctour-patient relationship after two no-shows. However, on days where he suffered from lack of sleep, Hannibal would not count a no-show against a patient, despite keeping note of it.)

Lecter sat back on his bed but he did not draw back his bedclothes. Instead, he lay stiffly, on his back, with his arms held against his side and his legs pressed together in front of him. He held his breath as he pressed the back of his head flat against his pillow. Hannibal wondered how Will was doing, whether he found his accommodations comfortable, or whether Will felt as unsettled as he felt at the moment. Hannibal thought about opening his door another inch or two, but then thought better of it. Surely, that would unnerve Will more than he currently was – of course, that caused Lecter’s curiousity to pique. Instead of rising immediately, however, Hannibal decided to close his eyes and practice mindful breathing for five minutes. The doctour kept count internally while feeling his blood pressure slowly lower. (He had noticed recently that when he was around Will, his blood pressure tended to rise.)

After counting out three hundred seconds, Hannibal rose and quietly walked to his door. He opened it and looked across the narrow hall. The other door was still mostly closed and remained so despite Lecter’s hope that it would soon crack farther open. After regarding the other door for a few moments, Hannibal walked back over to his own bed. This time, he drew back his bedding and slipped inside. Usually, Lecter would lay on the side closest to his room’s fireplace, but tonight he chose to lay on the side closest to the door should Will call for him.

After some time, Hannibal’s mind calmed so that he could rest. And, despite unfamiliar surroundings in a room more decadent than anything he ever owned in his adult life, Will found himself asleep after the chill from the cold Baltimore night had left him.

Shortly after 1:30 a.m., Will awoke with a start. He sprung up from the bed feeling as though he was drowning in a dark pool of – not water, but perhaps it was blood. However, it was so dark and thick, so suffocating. Will’s room was devoid of windows, but Hannibal had lit a small accent lamp whose shade, to even Will’s untrained eye, was antique Tiffany. Will let his eyes adjust to the dim light that was on a small table near the bathroom door. Working to slow his breathing, Will calmed himself, realising that he wasn’t actually drowning. Jack Crawford’s cases had been so intense lately that sometimes Will felt as if he couldn’t breath. 

After a few moments, Will threw back his blanket and cautiously made his way towards the bathroom. He ran the sink faucet using only the right knob, letting the water gather in his cupped hands before splashing it on his face several times. He then wet his hands and ran them across the back of his neck. 

Will felt sweaty and fevered, and while the water helped, it wasn’t enough. He let more cold water accumulate into his hands before drinking it down. A bit better, but still not cool enough. Hannibal had told Will that he would “barricade the hallway in case Will started to sleepwalk”, so surely he wouldn’t mind if Will attempted to sleep with the door cracked open a bit more. Will turned off the faucet, opened his bedroom door more, and laid back down in his bed.

For some reason that he couldn’t explain, Will’s heart began to raise. _Was someone watching him?_ Will wondered how his dogs were back in Wolftrap. Were they missing him? _Maybe they were happy that he wasn’t **at** home. Maybe they preferred him to be **not** at home. Did his dogs even care for him at all? Maybe they hated him but only stayed out of sympathy and the ability to get fed well whenever he **was** actually home. _

Will bolted upright, drenched in sweat. Apparently, he’d fallen asleep but even when he wasn’t dreaming of Garrett Jacob Hobbs, his mind was still taunting him. _Why couldn’t he get any peace?_


	3. Will thought about yelling out Hannibal’s name

Will thought about yelling out Hannibal’s name, certain that the other man would call when beckoned. Perhaps he should get up and splash more water on his face? No. Instead, he chose the least intrusive option he could think of and simply peeled off the shirt that Hannibal had loaned him. It was soaked in sweat and adrenaline. Not a good combo, but it seemed to be about all Will produced anymore. His body always seemed to be in a state of panic.

Forcing his eyes closed and trying to clear his mind, Will focused on falling back to sleep. He breathed deeply through his nose as Hannibal had suggested in one of their therapy sessions. **Evenly spaced breaths. Controlled, purposeful breathing.** He could feel his heart rate begin to return to normal, and the muscles in his limbs began to relax. Hannibal had referred to it as “mindful breathing”, and it worked. Will felt himself falling back into a deep slumber.

While Will had spent the night cycling between sleep and panic thus far, Hannibal had enjoyed a light sleep. Truth be told, he couldn’t remember a time since Mischa’s death that he had ever completely fallen asleep. However, he knew that in terms of survivors of the Nazis and their atrocities, he was not alone in this regard. In fact, it fascinated him how many Jewish prisoners had managed to survive the death camps only to end their own lives after the war. Although he had never told anyone about it, as a teenage boy, Hannibal had seriously contemplated suicide. He had become an orphan, having lost his entire immediate family, and was deeply traumatized by his younger sister’s death.

If not for his father’s brother, his Uncle Robertus, Hannibal would have found himself alone and lost like so many other orphans of the war. Instead, Uncle Robertus and his wife helped Hannibal in ways that he would never forget. They continued to install the love of fine art that Hannibal’s mother had started to cultivate in him as a young boy. In fact, it was because of that appreciation and his resulting talent that Hannibal’s own anatomical drawings had earned him a scholarship to the John Hopkins School of Medicine. Of course, no one on the esteemed interview panel really knew how he had such a mind for detail without yet practicing medicine…

During his sleep, Hannibal moved so that his left arm was positioned under his pillow, with his legs were drawn up near his chest as if he were an infant in the womb. As Lecter generally wasn’t one to move around much in his sleep (unless he was dreaming of Mischa), he stay asleep in that position for quite some time. However, at around 4:30 a.m., he was aware of a vague noise. _Perhaps it was Will?_

Hannibal was right. Despite falling asleep after he had stripped off his sweat-soaked shirt, it wasn’t long until Will found himself inundated with nightmares again. In a dreamlike state, he’d thrown his shirt off into a dark corner of the unfamiliar room, and he was currently regretting it. He could hear his own voice – _perhaps there was another shirt in Hannibal’s room? After all, he said that he would leave his bedroom door open…_

A mostly asleep Will Graham threw back his covers and stumbled to his feet. He stepped into the hallway and remembered that Hannibal had said that he’d block the stairway with an armchair. Of course, Will remembered that shortly before he fumbled into the chair. He cautiously made his way left and across the narrow hall, his right hand finding Hannibal’s chamber door ajar and creaking it open enough so that he could enter.


	4. “What was the protocol for this sort of intrusion?”

_“What was the protocol for this sort of intrusion?”_ Will wondered. However, he was **so** tired and **so** cold that he didn’t want to wake himself up any more lest he become unable to fall back asleep. Wanting warmth and rest, Will found his way to Hannibal’s bed, crawled under the covers, and found a warm, comforting body to curl up next to – it had been **so** long since he’d slept next to someone human.

Hannibal pulled out of any slumber he might have been in upon feeling another body pressed up tightly against his. When Will reached up from under the covers to slide his right hand between Hannibal’s arm and his body, Lecter’s eyes snapped open. He inhaled, confirming that it was really Will’s body resting up snuggly against his, and that his perception was actually reality (and not the reoccurring dream he would admit to no one that he not only had frequently but enjoyed).

Hannibal knew that he was tempting fate, but he couldn’t help it. He softly called out Will’s name. The other man responded with a breathy moan, shifting to bury his face into the back of Hannibal’s neck. Lecter could feel Will’s lips buried into the nape of his neck, where his hairline ended. Graham’s bottom lip seemed to be pouting, pressed up firmly against Hannibal’s skin. For one of the precious few times in his adult life, Hannibal Lecter almost lost control…

To ground himself, Hannibal inhaled deeply. Will groaned again as if in response. Hannibal let his hand find Will’s, surprised to find the other man’s wrist and arm bare. No wonder Will was pressed up against him so insistently – a few degrees cooler and he would have been shivering!

Eventually, Will relaxed his grip a bit and his lips moved so that he was barely touching Hannibal’s hair. The skin on the back of Hannibal’s neck rose into gooseflesh when the other man removed his lip. _How was he supposed to fall asleep?_ It didn’t matter, the important thing was that whatever trauma Will was enduring since the death of Garrett Jacob Hobbs had temporarily left him as he settled his body against Hannibal’s and slipped fully into sleep.  



	5. It must have been 6:30 a.m., close to 7

It must have been 6:30 a.m., close to 7 when Will moved. Ordinarily, Hannibal would be rising to start his day, but how could he take himself away from his bed, leaving Will alone? A lesser man might have tried to convince himself that he was sacrificing his time and morning to help Will, but Hannibal strived to always be honest with himself. (Bedelia often alleged otherwise, but he was convinced that she had her own ulterior motives.)

Will inhaled deeply and stretched his shoulders. Hannibal had anticipated that Will was likely waking, but he was mistaken. Instead, Will rolled away from him while holding onto his arm. Hannibal quickly rotated so that his torso was against Will’s back. When Will eventually released Hannibal’s hand, he let it rest on Will’s side. The top of Will’s hip was bare, and it felt delicious against Hannibal’s hand. Lecter let himself squeeze the patch of flesh slightly and, to his surprise, he felt Will push his body against him in return. 

Although he could not see it, Will’s face looked peaceful; a smile had appeared on his lips. Hannibal inhaled Will’s scent – it was musk, sweat, fear, and anxiety. It was everything and too much all at once as the result of Jack Crawford repeatedly pushing the profiler to his breaking point. Hannibal arched his back to press his midsection against Will, feeling electricity arc through his body as he was unable to keep himself from getting aroused. He let two of his fingers slip into the waistband of Will’s pants. Will’s skin was hot and moist. Hannibal’s first impulse was to bite Will’s shoulder and suck at his flesh until blood pooled under the surface. **The idea of marking Will just seemed right…**

Lecter was caught off guard when Will turned back to face him. His eyes fluttered open. “Hannibal?” Lecter was speechless. In the moment of silence that followed, Will had no choice but to notice the other man’s erection. He smirked, “ _Hi!_ ”

Most men would feel emboldened being caught in bed alert and ready for action by the object of their affection. These same men would feel embarrassed and perhaps even aghast at being caught killing and disposing of another human. Dr. Du Maurier insisted that Hannibal merely wore a human suit – that he was the opposite of most men. While he had often wondered what it would be like to have Will in his bed, Hannibal found himself wholly unprepared for the reality which literally lay before him. Of course, it wasn’t the reality but the anticipated potential of such that stripped Hannibal of his human suit, exposing his true self. Instead, he lay next to Will as honest as he could be. With nothing else to do, Hannibal locked eyes with Will and let a lopsided grin appear on his face before he leaned in to press his lips to Will’s.

In all of the time he had previously spent with Hannibal, Will had _not_ expected this, but somehow he wasn’t as surprised as he thought he would be. Hannibal was always so attentive to Will, and in a way that no one else was – not even Alana. Being on the spectrum and considering himself as only being interested in women, Will had never actually considered that Hannibal might be in love with him. However, who else would offer to put him up (and for the whole weekend if need be) should he show up unannounced, cold, wet, and feeling as though he was out of his mind? _(And who else would have instinctively known what Will needed and offered it up so willingly?)_ For a split second, the thought “but I’m not gay” crossed Will’s mind -- he decided to ignore it.


	6. Hannibal was uncertain what to expect from Will

Hannibal was uncertain what to expect from Will, but instead of pulling away, he felt Will lean into him as his tongue broke through to find Hannibal’s mouth. A shiver went through Lecter’s spine and he felt his cock twitch in excitement. 

In all of his previous long-term relationships, Hannibal had been with women, and he had been the one who had been pursued each time. Women often found him aloof. They found Hannibal’s foreign nature exciting while believing that it was his Old World mannerisms which caused him to be restrained with his feelings. In reality, Hannibal had never found another worth his time to pursue romantically. However, Will had intrigued him intellectually from the moment that they had met, and it wasn’t long after that Hannibal found himself infatuated with the increasingly unstable profiler. For the first time in his life, Hannibal felt that he had found his intellectual ( _opposite yet_ ) equal, and now Will was in his bed; **nothing could be more exciting**. Besides, it was his longing for the one man tasked with uncovering his crimes that had inspired Hannibal to commit the copycat killings. When he walked into Will Graham’s FBI classroom with Jack Crawford as Graham was dissecting why Cassie Boyle’s murder was actually “field kabuki” instead of the work of Garrett Jacob Hobbs, a proud smirk appeared on Hannibal’s lips. Thankfully, it had gone undetected by Crawford, Graham, and the class of fledgling students.

Letting his body take control, Hannibal pushed Will’s body down onto the bed as he straddled him. He leaned down and put his hands on either side of Will’s face. “ _Do you want this_?” he asked, his lips brushing against Will’s. He felt Will’s hands touch his hips before moving upward to strip Hannibal of his shirt. Hannibal bent down to press his lips against the stubble on Will’s neck before he allowed his teeth to gently pull at Will’s bottom lip. This act had its desired effect, and Will bucked beneath him. 

Hannibal let his hands run over Will’s chest and toned arms before they worked on removing his pants. Previously, Hannibal had thought that perhaps his fingers hadn’t reached down far enough, but upon freeing Will of his lounge pants, he was surprised to learn that the borrowed pants were all that Will had been wearing. A moan of longing escaped his own lips. Without thinking, Hannibal opened his lips wide to envelope Will’s growing member. Letting his tongue dance around Will’s shaft caused Will to cry Hannibal’s name out while he arched, his fingers entwined with Hannibal’s hair.


	7. Hannibal had always expected that Will would be a tender lover

Hannibal had always expected that Will would be a tender lover due to Will’s extreme empathy, but he was pleasantly surprised to feel Will’s fingers dive into his hair, pulling him upwards. Hannibal obeyed Will’s physical cues, and Will brought him up until he could place his mouth over Hannibal’s Adam’s apple. Hot, wet kisses were being placed with abandon all over the front of his neck as Hannibal brought his hands up to massage Will’s earlobes between his thumbs and index fingers. “ _Hannibal_ ,” Will cried out, breathlessly.

While many would consider Hannibal to be Satan Incarnate once they learned of his many murders, the psychiatrist always felt that Lucifer was unfairly judged. God loved to punish his children, yet he cast Lucifer aside merely for disobeying him. Why? While his ancestors were dead for hundreds of years before he was brought into the world, Hannibal could not help but wonder if his relatives had not admired Satan’s tenacity in serpent form when he convinced Eve to bite into an apple from the Tree of Knowledge. After all, his family’s crest featured a large serpent, intelligent ravens, and fierce, independent lions. 

While God wished to keep his subrogates ignorant and passive, Satan merely wished to free Adam and Eve from such oppression. Wasn’t man’s highest form that of a learned scholar? Everyone who knew Hannibal viewed him as intensely intelligent, on the level of a genius. So, was it any wonder that Lecter, whom newspapers worldwide would later decry as Lucifer himself, would want to open Will’s mind and provide him with a unique experience that only he could provide?

Hannibal wanted nothing more than to flip Will onto his stomach and take him. However, Satan’s humanity came from his giving nature. Thus, after noticing that Will was fully erect, Hannibal backed off, moving so that he could look over at Will as his cheek lay on his pillow. Hannibal presented himself on all fours with his legs spread apart, welcoming Will for the first of what would be many times throughout the course of their relationship. Of course, he would need to enter Will eventually, but why not let Will eat plentifully from the Tree of Knowledge first?

As Will was soon to prove to Hannibal, it is often better to give than receive. Needing no more of an invitation than what was already provided, Will moved so that he was behind Hannibal. Vaguely remembering a video he’d once happened upon, Will put his middle three fingers in his mouth before removing them to pop his middle finger back in, further lubricating it. He took a deep breath before using his left hand to slightly separate Hannibal’s buttocks before sliding his wet finger into Hannibal’s rectum. Will heard the other man inhale through his teeth – while Hannibal had been on both the giving and receiving end of such pleasures in his younger years, it had been decades and his occasional self-sodomy felt nothing like having another man’s digit plunged inside of him. After a few minutes of palpating Hannibal, Will paused. “ _Ready_?” he asked.

Hannibal arched his back to raise torso higher and let his hips move in a circular fashion, and that was all it took for Will to proceed. He spit twice on his right hand in quick succession and used that to replace Hannibal’s saliva which had started to dry. Keeping hold of his shaft to guide it in place, Will entered Hannibal slowly until his entire length had disappeared into Lecter. He could feel Hannibal tense up, but once he had relaxed, Will started thrusting, harder and faster until he began murmuring Hannibal’s name, frantically, as if it were a chant.

When Will’s eyes weren’t closed, he could see Hannibal’s hands grasp his pillow and then release it. The room began to spin as he noticed Hannibal’s hurried, deep breathing. Losing control, Will screamed Hannibal’s name aloud as his hands reached up and ripped flesh from the other man’s shoulders. Hannibal arched like a cat as Will came inside of him before the two men collapsed against one another on the bed, exhausted. Despite previously being ready to start his day, Hannibal fell asleep next to Will for several more hours, the pain in his shoulders negligible. ( _He would, however, admire the scratches later_.) Neither man would recall dreaming – both, with so many pent up emotions finally released -- slept soundly.


	8. Despite knowing Will better than anyone

Despite knowing Will better than anyone, Hannibal learned that when Will was deeply asleep, he snored softly. Not enough to wake Hannibal, but enough to prevent him from falling back asleep. Finally, close to noon, Will awoke to find Hannibal sitting up, reading a book. “Good morning, Will.”

“Hi,” Will replied sheepishly, looking up at Hannibal.

“Would you care for some brunch? I could make you an omelet and squeeze some orange juice.”

“That would be great.” 

Hannibal observed Will briefly before he set his book face down in his lap, using a finger as his bookmark. “You’re worried. What’s wrong?”

“Is…is this ethical?”

“Is anything ethical? Who defines ethics? Do you and I? Does God?”

Will began to use his hand to wipe the sleep out of his eye and give himself a moment to think until he realized what his hand had done only a few hours prior. Instead, he let his arm wipe his brow as he sat up. He paused for a moment, considering Hannibal’s response, before speaking again. “ **I want to stay here**.”

“Certainly. For how long?”

“A day. Two? I have to be back to the office on Monday, can I just stay until then? I have a change of clothes in my office.”

“It would be my pleasure to have you,” Hannibal smiled and let a hand graze Will’s jawline. “And what about your dogs? Surely, they’ll get hungry before you go back to Wolftrap on Monday.”

Will realized that Hannibal was right – his dogs shouldn’t go that long without refills of food and water. “I’ll call Alana,” he thought aloud. Hannibal had previously offered to attend to them, but Will no longer wanted to leave him, and oddly enough, he didn’t want to leave Hannibal’s residence, either.

“Alana?”

“Yeah. I’ll tell her that I just had to get away to clear my mind,” Will replied, matter-of-factly.

“And what will you say if she’s asked where you’ve gone?”

“I’ll lie.” Will raised his eyebrows at Hannibal. “Is that what you wanted to hear?”

“So long as you call her up here, on your own phone. Now, let me wash up so that I can start cooking.” Hannibal bent down to kiss Will before rising, grabbing a pair of boxers and a robe before heading downstairs.

As directed, Will went back to his bedroom, found his cell phone in his jacket pocket, and called Alana.

Alana had been surprised to hear Will’s voice on a Saturday, but eventually agreed nonetheless. However, always concerned for his wellbeing, Alana asked Will if he was safe. He told her that he had just hopped in the car to clear his mind and started driving until he found a place to stay last night. Technically, that wasn’t a lie. 

Ultimately, after assuring her that he’d see her at the office soon enough, Will managed to convince Alana to check in on his dogs while he was away from Wolftrap. She obliged, although she would have felt betrayed by both Will and Hannibal (to whom both she was attracted), had she known that the two men had taken their unique relationship to a new level of intimacy. 

After thanking Alana and telling her where his spare key was kept, Will started to run the shower. Cleaning the depravity of last night off of his body, he changed back into the pants Hannibal had given him and went downstairs where he was indeed greeted with fresh-squeezed orange juice and a smile. After Will confirmed that he would be staying for the next two nights, Hannibal decided that his previously scheduled weekend plans could wait. After all, before Will experienced his becoming, Hannibal Lecter had considered that murder was best performed alone.


End file.
